Argentina’s Lionel Messi. File
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Lionel Messi has fairly a climb to catch Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot.
The Argentina famous person has gained nearly all the things in soccer apart from the award for being the main scorer on the World Cup, and he is now two behind Mbappé after the France striker upped his complete to 10 targets in a wild third-place game.
Even when Messi cannot get there, a record-extending third Golden Ball because the event’s finest participant appears properly in attain after Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
He is already the one participant to win the award a number of occasions because it was first given in 1978, and sparking Argentina’s run to a second straight ultimate at age 39 provides him a robust case for an additional.
“He’s the historical past. He’s the legend,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni mentioned.
The opposite awards to be introduced Sunday (July 19, 2026) for performances on the World Cup are the Golden Glove for the highest goalkeeper, and the Finest Younger Participant Award, given to the highest participant 21 years outdated or youthful.
Spain is in good condition to win no less than one if not each of these, with Unai Simón permitting just one purpose in seven video games and 19-year-old Lamine Yamal offering the dazzle up entrance and exhibiting why he’s already thought-about one of the vital promising gamers on this planet.
Messi is on the different finish of a profession during which he is gained the Ballon d’Or, given to soccer’s participant of the 12 months, a report eight occasions.
The Golden Boot has eluded him, however he had the lead going into the ultimate two matches of this 12 months’s event. Each Messi and Mbappé had eight targets by the semifinals, however Messi owned the tiebreaker with yet one more help.
Mbappé then scored twice Saturday (July 18) in France’s 6-4 loss to England, making him the primary participant with 10 targets in a World Cup since Germany nice Gerd Müller had 10 in 1970.
Mbappé additionally gained the Golden Boot 4 years in the past in Qatar, when France misplaced to Argentina within the ultimate. This time, he may be a part of gamers resembling Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci in 1990, Croatia’s Davor Suker in 1998 and Germany’s Thomas Müller in 2010 as gamers whose targets in a third-place recreation carried them to the Golden Boot.
Ought to Messi beat out Mbappé in an Argentina victory, he could be the primary Golden Boot winner to play for the champion since Ronaldo scored eight targets when Brazil gained the title in 2002.
He could not want any targets to safe one other Golden Ball.
Messi gained that trophy for the primary time in 2014, when Argentina was the runner-up, and once more in 2022 when his seven targets in seven video games powered his nation to its third title. The Golden Ball, Golden Glove and the Finest Younger Participant Award are voted on by members of the media from an inventory of gamers compiled by the FIFA Technical Research Group.
Printed – July 19, 2026 08:57 pm IST
